Responsive

In response to the border state lawmakers request for security assistance, President Obama has authorized 1200 National Guard troops deployed to the region. The official said the National Guard will be used to, "provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support," as well as support "counternarcotics enforcement" and provide "training capacity" until the Border Patrol can bring more officers on board.

Senate Republicans met with Obama on immigration and border security earlier in the day during a infrequent, private meeting on Capitol Hill. Though top Obama Cabinet officials critical of Arizona's controversial new law have acknowledged they never read the bill, McCain said Obama told the senators he has read it and still believes it could allow for discrimination.

A previous troop deployment to the border region, called Operation Jump Start, ended in 2008. The operation sent more than 6,000 troops to California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to repair secondary border fence, construct nearly 1,000 metal barriers and fly Border Patrol agents by helicopter to intercept illegal immigrants.

Giffords, who had called for the National Guard's deployment immediately after the March 27 murder of Cochise County rancher Rob Krentz, said Obama's step was "the right thing."

"Arizonans know that more boots on the ground means a safer and more secure border," Giffords’ said in a written statement. "Washington heard our message."

Mexican President Calderon Asks Congress to Pass Immigration Reform

Influence

Felipe Calderon, the President of Mexico, recently met before congress speaking mostly about the immigration issue with our southern neighbors. President Calderon has describe the law as discriminate; many were wondering how he would respond in front of congress. From The Mexicans perspective, many of the criminal issues could be considered cause my America itself. The guns, the money and the demand for drugs are all what the cartels are working so hard for. This was not how the speech went. Many of President Felipe’s topics were hitting mostly on how Mexico could improve their own economy and become a more technological nation, increasing security and police forces as well.
Weeks after the bill in Arizona has passed, many American are realizing that it’s not the worst law for the times. According to 75% of democrats nationwide and 84% of GOP, this law is exactly what is needed. Many look past the racial profiling issues and silent acknowledging that it is a tool that works.
Where does this leave President Obama? He hasn’t done much of anything to address the immigration situation on a National level when 75% of his own party thinks that something similar to the AZ bill needs to be done. National Security starts at our borders. Many think it may be a republican issue but many liberals support some type of Immigration Reform on a national level. Several of the President’s administration has been asked directly if they have ready the bill, all have said they glanced at it…but have not read it. Yet, President Obama still says his administration is working hard to find civil right issues within it. Unfortunately between the media and others the Arizona law has been labels “bad”. Yet The American citizen safety remains in 2nd. IN the upcoming month and year we will see if Obama’s administration can step up to the plate and work on this issue. Although being an election year, many elected officials don’t’ want to jump that sixteen foot barrier.

Thoughts from Sarah Palin

There has been so much hype and criticism about Arizona’s immigration law. Have all these people, with something to say, actually read the bill? It wouldn’t be a long shot to say many every day Americans who have opinions about the Arizona law have not actually read it in its entirety. But could this be happening within the government itself? On Fox news this morning, State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley became the third Obama administration official to admit that he hadn’t actually taken the time or bothered to read Arizona’s 10-page long bill before condemning it and criticizing it. This was surprising for me to hear, but for Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, this came as no shock. She considers this the “Washington way.” She said on her Facebook today that, “If the party in power tells us they have to pass bills in order to find out what's actually in them, they can also criticize bills (and divide the country with ensuing rhetoric) without actually reading them," It is one thing for the everyday American Joe Shmoe to criticize the bill before reading it, but for the Obama Ad ministration?

As well as condemning the bill, the Administration is also apologizing for it. Last Friday a U.S Department delegation met with Chinese negotiators to discuss the issue of human rights. During this meeting the State department continued to bring up the Arizona law, apologizing for it, while trying to make the Chinese feel less bad about their history of human rights abuses. When asked if Arizona’s law came up in the meeting, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner said, “We brought it up early and often. It was mentioned in the first session, and as a troubling trend in our society and an indication that we have to deal with issues of discrimination or potential discrimination, and that these are issues very much being debated in our own society.” Through out the meeting instead of talking with the Chinese about their appalling history of troubles dealing with human rights, the State continued to apologize for Arizona’s new law and the actions it requires. Palin is encouraged by Arizona’s course of action and is pleased to see them stepping up and trying to solve a major problem when the National Government has yet to step up. She said, We have nothing to apologize for. If Administration officials want to apologize to anyone, apologize to the American people for the fact that after a year and a half in office, they still haven’t done anything to secure our borders, and they join our President in making false suggestions about Arizona’s effort.

Economic thought

Thinking about the Economy

With our country’s current economy state I can’t help but wonder how the Arizona Immigration Law will affect the economy in Arizona and in the nation as a whole. The number of immigrants in Arizona is 991,584 (in 2007). It is clear by the shear number of people, that immigrants are important to Arizona's economy, labor force, and tax base. Immigrants and their children are a growing economic and political force as consumers, taxpayers, and business owners. In fact, immigrants comprised 19.3% of the states work force in 2007. They play a key role in the growth of future America. Will this new law keep foreign-born business owners from starting businesses in Arizona? Will this keep tourist out of AZ and could it encourage current residents to? Governor, Jan Brewer, assures the people that this is not the case. She says, "The bottom line is that when I go about meeting with businesses that come into Arizona ... they want to know that we have a safe and secure environment into which to move their businesses here," Brewer said at an Arizona Town Hall event in Tucson. "They want to know that their employees are going to have a quality of life that they've had in the places where they're moving from to move here." It will be interesting to what kind of effect this new law will have, hopefully if things go think Brewer think that will, it will have a positive effect on the economy. Maybe Arizona will play a major role in leading the nation in what immigration reform should or shouldn’t look and help our economy grow as well.


http://immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/new-americans-grand-canyon-state

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/26/arizona.governor.immigration/index.html

United We Stand

According to Senator Harry Reid, “Our immigration system is broken. Democrats, Republicans and Independents all agree, and history has shown that neither a piecemeal nor a border-only approach will work to fix this problem.” I must agree. Our system is broken and something needs to be done about it. Whether you agree or disagree with the controversial new immigration law in Arizona, its boldness is proof that nation wide action needs to be taken. Our country has noted for many years that immigration is a problem that needs to be fixed, however, comprehensive and strong action has not been taken. Immigration reform is vital to our nation’s security. We need to know who is coming into to this country and what they are doing here. Illegal border crossing can be prevented by better boarder patrol. This can be accomplished with better technology and well train personal to watch the boarders. As well creating a stronger boarder security something needs to be done about the eleven million people already living here illegally. Arizona’s new law is an attempt to solve this problem. However, it is important that as a country we are tough on illegal immigration, but also fair. Senator Reid suggests, “People in the country illegally must be required to register with the government, pass criminal and national security background checks, obey the law, pay back taxes and learn English. After they get right with the law, they must go to the back of a very long line.” I am tired of all the controversial debate of how illegal immigration should be handled. It is about time that we come up with a compromise and deal with the situation together as a nation and combat illegal immigration head on. It is important that we stop sitting around talking about immigration reform, the longer we don’t take action the longer our country left vulnerable. Our immigration laws, like I said, should be tough, but fair. They should reflect our values as Americans while offering security and protection for American citizens. This will be accomplished when we unite as a nation, when republicans and democrats a like sit down and come up with a compromised plan.

Borderland

With elections coming this fall, you can be sure that both political parties are strategizing the best way to use the current immigration situation to their favor. The right wants to secure the borders before immigration itself is even talked about. The republicans are taking the national security road when it comes to letting people in. The left, on the other hand, view immigration as a civil liberty and think that others should enjoy the rights and advantages of the American Society. But how do the American people, the legal U.S. Citizens, feel about immigration? Is it as big of an issue for the Jones, the Smiths, and the Hernandez’s or is it just for the Donkeys and Elephants? Do the American people have the answer to the immigration issue?

A recent poll by New York Times/CBS News answers quite a few of these questions, and more. The majority of Americans think the country’s immigration policies need to be seriously overhauled. And despite protests against Arizona’s new immigration law, a majority of Americans support it. Most Americans feel immigration is a federal issue though, yet support AZ because the federal government hasn’t done enough for the states. The public broadly agrees, across party lines, that the United States could be doing more along its border to keep illegal immigrants out. Americans differ on the question of what to do with illegal immigrants who are already here and the role of states in enforcing immigration law, normally a federal responsibility. The Arizona law has revitalized the national debate over securing the border and what to do about the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

Under a torrent of criticism, the Arizona Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer made changes to the law on Friday that they say explicitly ban the police from racial profiling and allow officers to inquire about immigration status only of people they stop, detain or arrest in enforcing existing state law. But the new immigration law also now includes civil violations of municipal codes as grounds to check papers, and opponents were not appeased by the changes.

Although most agreed that the Arizona law would result in racial profiling, overstrained local and state law enforcement agencies and decrease the willingness of illegal immigrants to report crimes for fear of deportation, large majorities said it would reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the state, deter illegal border crossings and, to a lesser extent, reduce crime.

At immigration rallies in several cities on Saturday, demonstrators pressed the case for overhauling immigration law. So far no bill has been introduced in Congress. President Obama, while supportive of the idea of immigration reform, has questioned whether lawmakers have the appetite for a divisive battle over it after a year of other political fights and in the middle of a campaign.